


Magnemite, Rise!

by cresselia8themoon



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Explorers of Darkness & Explorers of Sky
Genre: Gen, Implied Partner/Player Pokemon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-26 22:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17150063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cresselia8themoon/pseuds/cresselia8themoon
Summary: After being rescued from a dangerous situation, a young Magnemite is inspired to follow in the footsteps of their favorite heroes.





	Magnemite, Rise!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [storm_aurora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/storm_aurora/gifts).



> Written for the Pokeganda Secret Santa 2018 Gift Exchange! Hope you enjoy this fic, magnemite-propaganda!

“BZZT! Hello? Can anyone hear me?” Magnemite called. Their magnets rotated erratically, a habit they never outgrew from their hatchling days. Sending a pulse of electricity into the ground to find a magnetic field wasn’t working. There was too much interference from the glowing blue crystals embedded in the rocky outcroppings.

One corridor led to a dead end. Another route led to a group of sleeping Donphan. Not wanting to risk their wrath, Magnemite backtracked quickly.

Wherever they turned, the trails were long and narrow. They were no stranger to the horror stories of how Ghost Pokémon would hide in walls and whittle their victims down until they were too exhausted to go on. Fearing that a Gastly or Misdreavus would pop out with a malicious Curse attack, Magnemite floated into a larger space. They stuck to the center of the room, far from any rock and crystals that could potentially hold a Ghost-type.

“I won’t ever wander into a dungeon alone again! I’m sorry!” Magnemite cried, their magnets whirring as frustrated sparks flew from their poles.

What did their older sibling always say about dungeon safety?

_If you’re lost, find a safe area to hide in until a trusted Pok_ _émon comes along. Don’t aggravate the dungeon Pok_ _émon. Kecleon merchants are the best protectors because they’re extremely defensive of their wares. Find one and stick close by. When they decide to set up shop elsewhere, follow them out of the dungeon and return home._

There weren’t any Kecleon merchants in this dungeon. They’d already looked.

So who would they consider a trusted Pokémon?

Sheriff Magnezone and their deputies came to mind first. They would have to wait until they came along.

That left finding a safe place to hide.

But the only hiding place was in a corner surrounded by crystals. While that would make it harder for dungeon Pokémon to reach them, a Ghost-type could easily bypass its defenses.

_“Guroow….”_

“Who’s there?” Magnemite shouted.

_Forget dungeon safety rules! Just run until that scary Pokémon can’t get you!_

But they wouldn’t budge. Their screws spun uselessly against the rock. They couldn’t use magnetic fields to keep themselves afloat now. Magnemite thought the crystals were interfering again, but they managed to get around the cave. It couldn’t be that.

_Calm down, you need to hover to get out. Your panic is causing this. Calm down and focus!_

_“GROOOOHHH!”_

Something large and rocky swamped Magnemite’s vision. It was the biggest boulder Magnemite had ever seen in their life.

A craggy face loomed over them, mouth gaping open as something orange and glowing built up inside. Transfixed by the glow, Magnemite could only watch as the beam brightened its entire maw. The rational part of their mind screamed at them to run, to move, to _just do something instead of being frozen stiff!_

“OVER HERE, YOU BULLY! VINE WHIP!”

The Golem suddenly crashed into the wall, his body ensnared by two green vines. An orange beam fired from his mouth, smashing into the ceiling and breaking several large crystals. The fragments rained down, and Magnemite brought up one magnet to protect their steel body.

They never felt the crystals.

Magnemite found themselves underneath a Vulpix, whose eyes glowed green as a shield manifested around them. The crystals harmlessly bounced off.

“Are you okay?” Vulpix asked, inclining her head in concern.

“I…don’t know,” Magnemite admitted. “I can’t move.”

Vulpix regarded them for a moment, then turned her attention back to Golem. “Stay behind me for now. I’ll keep up my Protect until Snivy defeats Golem. Then we’ll turn him over to Officer Magnezone and escort you back to the guild. Magneton is waiting for you there.”

“Officer Magnezone?” Magnemite repeated. While they weren’t surprised that Magneton had gone to a guild for help, they weren’t sure where Officer Magnezone factored in.

“For Golem. He’s an A Rank outlaw,” Vulpix clarified. “Don’t worry, your punishment for wandering somewhere you shouldn’t will be up to Magneton.”

Their magnets drooped. “Oh, great.”

Magneton was definitely going to make them clean the excess electricity disposal. And they were not looking forward to it.

Golem was trapped in a tempest of razor-sharp leaves, his rocky hide barely visible among the swirling green. Snivy swung her tail several more times, adding more leaves to the mix until she was satisfied.

_That’s Leaf Storm! Only the most powerful Grass Pokémon use that technique! They aren’t a rookie team at all!_

Magnemite marveled as Snivy finally allowed the Leaf Storm to die down. Golem fell to the ground with a heavy thud, the swarm of leaves fluttering around him. Several stems stuck out of his body’s rocky crevices. When Golem didn’t get up, Snivy motioned for Vulpix to approach.

Vulpix dropped her Protect. She stood in front of Golem and released a pulse of violet energy. Seconds later, the sound of snoring filled the cavern.

“Hypnosis,” Vulpix said before Magnemite could ask about her technique. “Useful for outlaws. Can you float by yourself now?”

Magnemite concentrated on testing several weak magnetic pulses. As each one pushed them off the ground, they felt more confident. They produced a final, strong pulse that finally dislodged the rocks surrounding their screws and lifted them into the air.

“Yeah, I’m good. I just wanna get out of here,” Magnemite said.

Snivy took the lead, carefully rolling Golem with her vines. Vulpix’s ears pointed forward, flicking every few seconds to detect any sounds of trouble. Even though they weren’t large Pokémon, Magnemite was in awe of their presence. They felt powerful for some reason.

And familiar too.

“You mentioned a guild earlier,” Magnemite said, faltering when Vulpix looked back at them. Snivy continued to roll Golem, carefully steering him away from a cluster of jutting crystals. If she heard them, it was hard to tell.

“Yup!” Vulpix exclaimed. “We’re an exploration team from Wigglytuff’s Guild!”

Magnemite’s circuits almost shorted out. An exploration team from Wigglytuff’s Guild that consisted of a Vulpix and a Snivy....

There was only one possible team.

And they restored time and saved the world from absolute darkness.

“YOU’RE TEAM COURAGE!” Magnemite screeched, magnets twirling from excitement.

Vulpix and Snivy shot them reproachful looks, and Magnemite remembered that they were trying to arrest an outlaw. They did _not_ want to be responsible for Golem suddenly waking up and injuring someone.

“Sorry,” Magnemite said.

Snivy made a zipping motion across her mouth before returning her attention to Golem.

“Yeah, we’re Team Courage,” Vulpix confirmed. “Just keep it down next time, okay?”

Magnemite hummed in agreement. “Sorry, everyone talks about you. I love hearing all the stories that come up!”

“We’ve heard,” Vulpix said. “Just out of curiosity, what do the stories say about us?”

“That you’re a really bold team who ventured to lands that are the stuff of legends and my personal favorite is how you and Snivy are a reincarnated pair of star-crossed lovers who vowed to always find each other no matter what kind of life they lead and-“ Vulpix’s fur was five shades brighter “-uh, my sensors are indicating that this isn’t the best answer to give to Pokémon I just met no matter how famous.”

Vulpix coughed. “Let’s just pretend we didn’t hear that.”

* * *

 

They ran into Magnezone and their deputies outside of Spinda’s Cafe. Snivy released Golem from Vine Whip, turning over custody to law enforcement.

“BZZT! WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR COOPERATION!” Magnezone buzzed. “YOUR HYPNOSIS INCREASES EFFICIENCY BY APPROXIMATELY 67%!”

“Oh, it’s no biggie,” Vulpix giggled. She couldn’t hide how flattered she was though.

“TRY THE NEW PERFECT APPLE-CHERI BERRY BLEND LATER!” the Magneton deputy chimed in. “IT’S DELICIOUS!”

“Sure, if the Guildmaster hasn’t already cleaned out their stock of Perfect Apples yet,” Vulpix remarked.

Their conversation shifted to developments Magnezone was keeping an eye on. A Mismagius and her gang of Misdreavus were causing trouble in the Craggy Coast area, and Kecleon merchants reported an Alakazam stealing their wares and teleporting to safety before they could attack him.

Magnemite observed their conversation, carefully processing every detail. While Vulpix was talkative, Snivy was a listener. They also lacked the nervousness most Pokémon displayed when dealing with law enforcement. It was fascinating.

What if _they_ formed a team to chase down outlaws too?

 _Rescuing Pokémon from dungeons is also important_ , Magnemite recalled. They wouldn’t have lasted long if Vulpix and Snivy hadn’t shown up.

Team Courage may have saved the world from eternal darkness, but scared Pokémon and outlaws would always exist. There would always be a need for Pokémon to step up and fight when others couldn’t.

“Excuse me?” Magnemite spoke up. Everyone turned to look at them. Magnemite dropped several inches from embarrassment. “Do you think I could be part of an exploration team?”

“I’m sure you’d be a great explorer if you work at it, Magnemite! Plus it’s a great way to meet new Pokémon! Right, Snivy?” Vulpix exclaimed.

Snivy nodded.

Now they were more excited to become an explorer!

“WE WILL BE GOING. GOLEM SHOULD BE AWAKENING SOON,” Magnezone said. “I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR COOPERATION.”

One of the Magnemite deputies dropped a bag of coins into Snivy’s arms before departing.

“Snivy, you take Magnemite into the guild and reunite them with Magneton. I’ll leave this in Duskull Bank,” Vulpix said as she tried taking the bag from Snivy, who cradled it protectively. Vulpix frowned. “C’mon, I learned from the last time I went on a Gummi shopping spree!”

Snivy’s vines held the bag out of Vulpix’s reach. Smirking, the Grass-type headed towards Treasure Town.

Magnemite tapped her with their body. “So are we going or something?”

Vulpix huffed. “Fine. And just for the record, that was one time.”

* * *

 

Magnemite was stronger. After they were rescued, they poured themselves into learning how exploration teams operated. They figured joining a guild would be the first step. It would be easier to get jobs and have a network of trustworthy allies to fall back on in tight situations.

Once they caught wind of Heliolisk’s Guild seeking new recruits, they said goodbye to Magneton and left home.

Guildmaster Heliolisk’s grouchiness was legendary, but the training would be worthwhile.

If they could make it past the front door anyway.

Every guild had a security system in place to prevent rogues and salespeople from infiltrating their defenses. Heliolisk’s Guild was no exception. The building was shaped like a Heliolisk’s frill, and the center held a massive steel door. Unlike Wigglytuff’s Guild, there was no grate to check footprints.

They didn’t see anything else that looked like a safeguard.

Then Magnemite saw a tiny, yellow Pokémon crawl behind a large boulder. Curious, Magnemite drew closer. 

“You’ve wanted this, Joltik,” the Pokémon murmured, swiping at his two largest eyes to get rid of his tears. “Pull yourself together. You’re gonna be an explorer, and good explorers aren’t crybabies.”

“Hello, my name is Magnemite!” Magnemite exclaimed. “Are you a new recruit too?”

Startled, Joltik sprung up and released a yellow, sticky material from his spinnerets. The material wrapped itself around Magnemite’s left magnet before they could move out of the way. They felt a slight tingle course through their body.

“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry!” Joltik cried. “I can’t control Electroweb sometimes!”

“Whoa! Hey!” Magnemite shouted, hoping that he didn’t have to deal with a rush of tears. They were glad they lacked the lacrimal glands needed to produce those secretions. “I shouldn’t have startled you. Sorry about that. And it’s fine. You said you wanna be an explorer, right?”

Joltik nodded. “Yup! My Grammy was on an expedition team to the northern lands when she was young! She told me stories, and I was inspired to become a great explorer just like her! But…I’m not really that brave. So I need to get brave. And I decided to try joining a guild to help with that.” He paused, scuffing the ground with his leg. “I can’t even get through the front door.”

Magnemite dislodged the webbing from their magnet, an idea forming in their mind. “You know, your Electroweb would be really good for traps. We could catch outlaws and rescue Pokémon together! We could help each other be great explorers!”

Joltik scrutinized them. “You really want me? On your team?”

“Sure. Why not?” Magnemite asked. “I was saved by Team Courage once. They were my inspiration to be an explorer.”

“Team Courage? THE Team Courage?” Joltik’s eyes widened.

“Yes,” Magnemite replied.

Joltik glanced at the looming steel doors. Taking a shaky breath, he steadied himself. Then he crawled up to the entrance. Magnemite followed behind him.

“H-hello?” Joltik called out. “My n-name is Joltik. I want to join as an apprentice please.”

The doors didn’t answer.

“We both want to join as apprentices,” Magnemite added. “We believe we can learn a lot about becoming great explorers from your guild.”

To Magnemite’s surprise, the doors parted with a loud creak. Two gleaming, golden eyes peered down at them. Joltik released another Electroweb from fright.

Then a Luxray emerged from the darkness.

“I spy with my little eye, two tiny tots here to join us!” Luxray shouted, grinning widely. She pawed at Joltik and Magnemite. “Well, aren’t you just the cutest things I’ve ever seen! Say, you aren’t salespeople in disguise, right? I don’t wanna grab the Guildmaster’s emergency cane!”

Her tail flicked to a case on the wall. A wooden cane laid inside.

_EMERGENCY CANE_

_SMASH IN EVENT OF SALESPEOPLE_

“No, we’re not,” Joltik said. He sounded just as baffled as Magnemite.

Luxray giggled. “That’s a relief! I saw you talking behind that boulder earlier. It’s obvious you aren’t salespeople and you really do wanna join us!”

“Wait, there was a steel door in the way,” Magnemite pointed out. “How do you know?”

“X-ray vision. Comes in handy cause I’m the sentry of Heliolisk’s Guild!” Luxray boasted. “Pretty nifty, don’t you think?”

“LUXRAY! I DON’T PAY YOU TO CHIT-CHAT WITH WHIPPERSNAPPERS!” a voice bellowed.

Luxray rolled her eyes as a Pokémon with a sun-shaped frill stomped over. “Newbies, Heliolisk. Please excuse him. He’s an old fuddy-duddy. And he doesn’t pay me.”

“You’re just as old as me, Luxray!” Heliolisk snapped, his hand tightening around his cane. “As for you, git before I grab my emergency cane!”

“You’re old?” Joltik gasped, his eyes searching Luxray for any sign of aging.

Luxray nodded. “I’m just young at heart! Unlike Mr. Killjoy.”

“Young’uns these days. Never listen to their elders,” Heliolisk grumbled, tossing a brown bag at Magnemite and Joltik. “Assignment’s in there. Take it and git.”

“But we’re not apprentices yet,” Magnemite said.

Heliolisk slammed the tip of his cane against the ground, startling Joltik and Magnemite. “Ya got what you came for! First rule of my guild is to do your work no matter how big or how small. If ya can’t follow that, you have no business being explorers! Now off with ya!”

“Good luck!” Luxray exclaimed as she shooed them outside. The steel doors shut.

Magnemite stared at the bag.

“We did it?” Joltik gasped.

Magnemite opened the backpack. A notice was inside.

_Message from Farfetch’d_

_Help!_

_I lost my lucky leek in Beach Cave when I was attacked! Please find it!_

_Reward: 1000 Poké_

Magnemite and Joltik read the paper multiple times to make sure they weren’t dreaming. Since it didn’t disappear into thin air, it had to be real.

“It’s official,” Magnemite said, an excitement swelling in them. “We’re explorers!”

“So…I guess it’s off to Beach Cave?” Joltik asked nervously. “I’m scared, but happy. Is that weird?”

“No. It’s a natural feeling,” Magnemite said. They held out a magnet. “Ready to go, partner?”

Joltik lifted a leg and pressed it to their magnet. “Let’s do it, partner,” he said, nodding in determination.

Heliolisk’s Guild was a new challenge. But they would take it head on, just as Team Courage tackled every exploration wholeheartedly.

And Magnemite was looking forward to new adventures with Joltik by their side.


End file.
